The Mother (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Grazia Deledda
- First Published: 1920
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Psychological realism
- Time of Work: Early twentieth century
- Setting: Sardinia
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction
- Subjects: Mothers, Parents and children, Love or romance, Twentieth century, Guilt, Italy or Italians, Priests, Celibacy
- Locales: Mediterranean, Sardinia
Characters Discussed
Maria Maddalena (mahd-dah-LEE- nah), a Sicilian woman. An orphan reared by aunts who make of her a drudge, she is married to an old man who dies shortly thereafter, leaving her pregnant. She works to support her son and to send him through a seminary to become a priest. She is troubled when her priest-son appears to have an affair with a beautiful young woman. A superstitious soul, she believes the ghost of the former parish priest is trying to drive her and her son away. When her son’s sweetheart confronts him in his church, the poor mother falls...
[The entire page is 512 words long]
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